Almost 3,000 pregnant women could be forced to travel to either Wrexham or Bangor as health board bosses look to downgrade maternity services at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.

According to Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), there are around 7,000 births in North Wales each year, with 2,300 of those at the Bodelwyddan hospital.

Only 500 are expected to be midwife-led during the transitional period, meaning that in the 12-18 months from April 6 that doctor-led births are suspended at the hospital, 2,700 women will have to have their babies at the Wrexham Maelor or Ysbyty Gwynedd instead.

Last week’s decision to temporarily axe doctor-led maternity care at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd sparked outrage across North Wales, prompting calls for an immediate independent public inquiry into the running of the board and its delivery of services.

A copy of a letter from the health board to its patients was leaked on social media today.

It explains they took the decision to remove consultant-led obstetrics and gynaecology from Ysbyty Glan Clwyd because they cannot recruit enough doctors to keep running safe services across all three district general hospital sites.

The shortage of middle-grade obstetric doctors has meant clinical teams are relying on locum and agency doctors to fill rotas, bringing “unacceptable clinical risks” which the health board says it is no longer prepared to run.

The letter says women will be offered birth in four settings: home, midwifery-led unit, alongside midwifery-led unit and obstetric-led unit, and there will be provision for babies who require special care as part of the interim changes.

Expectant mothers of 35 weeks or over will see no change to their birthing plan, and neither will any women already booked in at Ysbyty Gwynedd or Wrexham Maelor.

Midwives will be contacting women who are 33-35 weeks pregnant within the next two weeks to discuss an “appropriate place of birth”, and women under 33 weeks will be contacted in the coming weeks about their options.

The letter ends: “We appreciate that this is a very worrying time for mothers-to-be and families, and sincerely apologise for the disruption that it may cause, but the safety of all our mothers and babies is our priority.”

A health board spokesman said they were aware the letter had been leaked but could not confirm if it was a draft copy or the final version.

Campaigners fighting the decision to suspend the service will stage a protest rally at the Rhyl Events Arena on Saturday from 2pm.

More than 3,000 have already registered for the event including NHS staff, politicians, mothers and families of those affected by the decision.

UNISON have also lent their support to the campaign, and have called on BCUHB to commence an open and transparent process to determine the future of North Wales health services.

The union says it is holding regular workplace meetings with staff and will be joining protesters on Saturday.

Donna Hutton, UNISON regional organiser, said: “We have called on the health board to go back to the drawing board and look at alternatives to the closure of the consultant-led maternity unit.

“Our firm view, and that of our members who work as midwives, health care support workers and ambulance staff at the unit, is that the public need this service to remain open.

“We have concerns about the strain that the unit closure would place on services in Wrexham and Bangor, and we believe that there are alternative options that should be considered before taking such drastic action.

“We will continue to campaign against this decision and urge any of our members who have concerns to contact us directly.

“We need community groups to come together on this issue for the sake of the service and those who work tirelessly to provide it.”

A Daily Post petition calling for the Welsh Government to intervene and halt the health board’s plans has now been signed by 11,000 people.